Where Have You Gone, Uncle Joey?

• Dancin':
• I've been watching a good bit of ESPNU's tournament coverage for the same reason that people watch reality shows or bad soap operas: because I love yelling at the TV. On tonight's edition (which I'm not done with), a group of former coaches and players picked all of the games. They love Cornell because they only lost to Kansas by a little bit. I'm confused at why anyone would love a team for losing a game. They also love Marquette because they play close games. Which, to me, means that Marquette is incapable of blowing anyone out. If you look to play a close game in the tourney, you're looking to go home quickly. Too much left to chance. When I shut it off (though I recorded it so more tomorrow), they had just talked in one breath about why Texas A&M would roll Utah State because they were so tough and tournament-tested over the last couple of years and then in the next breath hated a little on Siena, even though Siena is (say it with me) tough and tournament-tested over the last couple of years.
• I finally finished filling out my brackets and, as always, I picked too much chalk. Not a fan of my picks. I have three teams from one conference making the Final Four, which is unlikely. I have no team lower than a 3-seed in the Elite Eight. I found one double-digit seed to get to the Sweet 16, but it's a bit of grasping. People will love West 12-seed UTEP to win two games, but I'm thrown too much love to Butler to go against the Bulldogs. As such, I didn't pick one 12-seed to win in the first round, but I did pick two 13-seeds and two 11-seeds. Details on Wednesday (since tomorrow is devoted to Idol and Lost, of course).
• One more note, regarding East Coast bias. I'll throw the Midwest in there, too. The three teams that seem to be getting the least respect from the analysts are California, Washington, and New Mexico. All western teams. ESPN analysts questioned whether Cal deserved to get in, even though they are #14 in KenPom, #19 in RPI, and #29 in Sagarin. Do you get that? They not only easily deserved to get in, but they are even under-seeded! Their opponent, Louisville, one seed lower, is #39 in KenPom and #37 in RPI and Sagarin. Not even close. Marquette and Washington? Marquette is #28 in KenPom, #50(!) in RPI, and #24 in Sagarin, and Washington is #29 in KenPom, #41 in RPI, and #42 in Sagarin. Yet Marquette is a 6-seed, Washington an 11-seed, and nobody gives the Huskies a chance. Then, the analysts love Marquette to take down New Mexico (#47 in KenPom, #10 in RPI, #23 in Sagarin). In the show I was watching tonight, they loved Marquette because the Golden Eagles "are tough, can drive the ball into the paint, and have a player who can make plays when they're needed." Has anyone seen New Mexico play? The answer is "no," because they were never on ESPN unlike every Big East team. But I have. Guess what? New Mexico is tough as nails, they can penetrate at will with great guards, and they have a player in swingman Darrington Hobson that can do anything needed to make plays. Think a less-dickish Greivis Vazquez. Plus, the Lobos are a little bigger down low than Marquette, who doesn't play anyone bigger than 6'6"! I didn't mean to let that rant get away from me like that, but damn...
• Random Pop Culture:
• The last two episodes of 24 have been really, really good. Shockingly so, considering the state of the show. The twist at the end of tonight's episode was nothing short of fantastic. For the first time in seasons, I couldn't see something coming a mile away. Also fun to see Stephen Root on the show, since he said he was going to be in it when we saw him live at an Office Space screening a few months ago.
• They could end Big Love after last week's finale (which I finally saw) or they could keep it going for one more season. Either would make sense in some respects, but they need to shore it up big time if they're going to continue. The plot was out of control this season.
• Random Music Video:
• Saying that Big Love was "out of control" made me think of Dave Coulier. Here is 1) the intro to Out of Control, 2) a video of Dave Coulier saying his catch phrase to a fan (the only place I could find him doing "cut it out" on YouTube), and 3) a really strange rap about Full House that Coulier wrote. Not really understanding that last one.